Work guide for sewing machines



July 25, 1933. c BOYD WORK GUIDE ,FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 29, 1931 Z a 6 i 1 3 2 7 5 Wag E 5 8 h J M 4 INVENTOR Ceca] Z Boyd BY a Patented July 25, 1 933 CECIL E. BOYD, 0F DETRQIT, MICHIGAN, lASSIGNOB '20 THE IMURRAY CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A CORPOBATIGN GE DELAVIABE GUIDE FOR SE'WING MACHINES Application filed Gctober 2%), 1981.

My invention relates to improvements in sewing machines and particularly to an improvement in the nature of a gauging structure for a material to be sewed which guides the work relative to the needle when forn ing plaits, piping or the like.

hen parallel rows of plaiting are to be provided in an articl such as that for finishing upholstering material employed in automobile body interiors, such as seats, seat backs or for other upholstering purposes, difficulty has been experienced in effecting unifori ity in the sewing of the elements together. The finishing material, such as 1110- hair, velour, linen or other suitable fabric, is sewed to asuitable backing material, which is generally a plain muslin fabric, at spaced points to form plaits. The plaits or piping constitutes elongated pockets for receiving cotton batting or other suitable material which is stuffed therein, between the backing and the finishing material.

It was the practice in the past to mark the backing material with parallel lines to indicate where the material was to be stitched to the outer finishing upholstering material which was also provided with spaced parallel lines. The operators skill was relied upon for sewing or stitching along the lines thus provided to join the pieces together to form like pockets. The lines on the backing material were marked closer together than the lines on the back of the outer upholstering piece to allow for plait and forming an elongated pocket to receive th cotton batting stufiing material.

Difliculty has been experienced. in sewing this upholstery to the backing to form the plaited pockets and the process has been a slow one because of the general care the operator must necessarily cXe C156 to form each plaited pocket of equal size and to maintain the plait-s in exactly parallel lines, equally spaced from each other by accurately following the indicated markings when sewing the elements together. In my co-pending application, Serial No. 555,962, file-d August 8, 1931, and assi ned to the assignee of the present invention, 1 illustrate and describe a sewing machine attachmentwhich overcame Serial No. 571,842.

these difficulties by providing a device to guide the work and measure the relative spacin of the materials to form plaits there- 3 in of equal size and in exact parallelism. The device. insured a mechanical accuracy and the positive guiding of the work and was of particular advantage when the plaited pockets were narrow. The positive guiding of the work and the spacing of the material eliminated to a great extent the care requiredby the operator in stitching the pieces together and the inaccuracies in the resulting product and effected a more rapid method of producing a better and more desirable product.

My present invention is an improvement over the structure illustrated and described in the above mentioned co-pending application and has for its main objects, the simplification of the guiding structure; the provision of a unit support for the structure which is readily attachable to a sewing machine of the standard type; to provide a hinged retaining plate with a biasing element which is available for raising the plate when the fabric is moved therefrom; to provide a slope to the guiding edge of the guide plate for permitting the cloth to be drawn togetherat thepoint at which the stitching is to occur; to provide guiding means in aligned relation with the stitching needle for aiding the operator in accurately guid- 1 invention, to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a broken plan View of a portion of a sewing machine having an attachment thereon which embodies features of my vention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of each ot 'e the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Figure 3 is a broken enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1, taken on the line 33 thereof;

Figure e is an'enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1, taken on the line is thereof;

Figure 5 is an enlarged'sectional view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1, taken on the line 55 thereof, and

Figure 6 is a view of plaited upholstering material which was stitched on the machine illustrated in the foregoing figures.

In Figures 1 and 5, I have illustrated a portion of a sewing machine on a work table 7 which is arcuately cut away at 8 to form a recess in which the operator is positioned. At the right hand side of Fig. 5, a sewing machine head 9 (not shown in full) of any well known conventional type is illustrated, provided with a stitching needle 10. The above described sewing table or work bench and sewing machine are of conventional type and well known in the art.

The work guiding device of my present invention is supported above the table 7 and includes a supporting cross bar 11 which is provided at one end with an aperture 12 which forms one support for the device. A downwardly extending element 13 is welded, bolted or otherwise attached to the bar 11 having a brace 14L secured thereto which is attached to the sewing machine head by a bolt 15, as illustrated more clearly in Figure 5.

A frontwardly disposed member or supporting bar 16 is attached to the bottom of the element 13 by any suitable method. The one herein shown, for the purpose of illustration, includes the brackets 17 which are disposed at the corners of the element 13, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, for firmly retaining the elements in fixed relation to The bar 16 has a horizontally disposed plate 18 attached thereto by rivets or other suitable means, and angle members 19 and 21 are secured to the member 16 and to each other in engagement with the plate 18 for the purpose of strengthening the assembly and for providing a guide relative to the sewing machine needle In this manner the plate 18 is retained a short distance from the surface of the table 7 to permit the muslin or backing material to be moved across the table top and under the plate 18.

The left hand portion of the plate 18 is reduced in width at 22 for receiving a plate 23 which extends over the end of the plate to provide a groove or offset portion 24: in

parallel relation to the guide member 21. Extending frontwardly of the plates 18 and 23 in continuation thereof is a metal strip comprising portions 25 and 26 which form a groove 24; in continuation of the groove 24 provided by the plates. The portions 25 and 26 are a continuation of the plates 18 and 23 and are thereby supported by the members 16 and 13 abovethe table 7 The portions of the plates 22, 23 and 25 and 26 which form the groove 24, may be referredto as the seam receiving member as it forms the groove 2% in which the seam is received.

The end of the members 25 and 26 may droop to be in engagement with the table when the cloth is removed therefrom but it is readily apparent that this is of no consequence since the material is of considerable length and each time a piping is stitched by the machine the material is drawn forwardly from the rear thereof and is, therefore, not usually inserted from the front end of the members 25 and 26.

The front portion of the plate 18 is cut away at 27 in the vicinity of the needle 10, as illustrated in Figure 1, and provided with a slope 28 which permits the two pieces of cloth to gradually come together just ahead of the needle 10 and a material engaging and securing foot 29 of the machine. It is to be understood that the width etween the groove 2% and a parallel plane through the needle 10 is that conforming to the width of the piping as spaced on the muslin backing material.

To retain the material relative to the plate 18 and the groove 24-, I provide a cover or lid 31 in predetermined relation to each other. The alate is provided with an upstanding flange 32 on one of its sides which engages an angle member 33 that is supported on a bar 3% which is pivotally attached to the end of the bar 11 by a hinge 35. A spring 36 is attached to the bar 3 1 by a suitable bolt or securing means 37 and to the bar 11 by suitable bolt or securing means 38. The spring is of such tension as to retain the lid or cover 31 in raised position out of contact with the plate 18when the machine is not in use. Very little effort is required to hold the lid in contact with the plate 18, the overlapping of the cloth thereover being sufficient during the time the cloth is being held over the end of the lid and guided relative to the needle. An angle member 39 is attached to the under side of the lid 31, the downwardly extending flange &1 thereof covering the slot 24 which aids in guiding and retaining the seam originally stitched in predetermined relation to the slot. A. resilient bumper 40 is supported on the end of the bar 11 in the path of movement of the bar 3 1- for limiting the upward travel of the lid 31.

In Figure 6, l have illustrated. one form of plaited upholstery wl ich was formed with my improved device above described. In the figure, l have shown a strip of backing material 42 of muslinor other suitable ma terial, which has a piece finishing upholstery material 43 such as velour, forming elongated parallel plaits therewith when the finishing upholstery material is stitched to the-backing material, at 44, by folding back the outer finishing material 43 and piping it along this line.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the work. is passed through the device of my invention by sliding the backing strip or muslin 42 across the surface of the work table 7 beneath the plate 18 and extensions 25 and 26 thereof and by placing the upholstery material'or velour 43 over the plate 18 and folding it back over the lid 31. As the material is passed rearwardly through mydevice, the upholstery material 43 will be drawn downwardly and in contact with-the muslin 22 in the presence of the sloping sur face 28 provided on the plate 18, the joining of which will take place directly ahead of the shoe 29 and the needle 10. The uphol stery velour 43 will then be stitched to the backing 22 at this pointby a known in the art as piping.

Parallel to the recess 24 I have provided guide rod 45 which is secured to the top of the table, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The guide rod is preferably in substantial alignment with the needle 10 in parallel relation to the guide slot 24 for effecting the substantial guiding of the cloth through the device by the operator whose hand is directed by the rod as the cloth is fed into the device which may thereby be materially T shortened. That is to say, the plate 18 and lid 31 are of relative small dimension, being available for receiving the cloth just before the cloth enters the shoe 29 to be stitched. The guide rod aids the operatorin directing the cloth into the device. It isto beunderstood that in place of the rod 451 may utilize a groove or a rod which may be square, rectangular or of other shape, the round rod herein shown being utilized for the purpose of illustration only.

The plaits made in sewing the upholstering material to the-backing must be of equal size, and it is the combination ofthe recess 24 in the plate 18 and the cover or lid 31 which produces this result in the following manner. Assuming that the first piping seain- 44 has been formed, that is to say, that the upholstering velour 43 has been folded back upon itself, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, and stitched to the backing material seam which is 42 at 44. The operator then places this piping scam in the groove 24 of the plate 18 and draws the seam into the recess by effecting aerial 42 to the right.

Tl e upholstering velour'43 is then drawn over the top of the plate 18 and the-cover or lid 31 is drawn thereagainst and. the velour folded over the top of the cover. The told thus effected over the end of the cover 31 of lateral pull to the muslin or backing ma the velour material is rou 'hl 1 followed throughout the'length of the velour and the operator rests the hand upon t e fold and the muslin 1n contact with the; guide rod 44 for feedin the material into the device. C) 7 V The operator s other hand may be employed for LlICllD the material thus folded over a V a 1 the top of the cover 31 to keep the velour material in flat the plate 18. p

The distance between the 01 aine's disposed 1 9, V within the recess 24 and the guiuerod 4 will be the distance between the stir 1111 on b the muslm,-and the distance from t 1e inner edge of the groove 24 about the extending portion of the plate 23 to the right hand edge ofthe lid 31, as viewed in Fig. 2, l constitute the required length of the upholstering velour necessary to make the proper size plait for forming the pocket. Tlie backing material 42, .it will be noted, remains flat upon the top of the table 7 and is, therefore, of a proportionate shorter length than upholsltering material between the piping seam 44 and the point where the next will be stitched and this length is the d tance between the recess 24 and the guide rod 45.

The distancebetween the right hand ed e of the lid or cover 31 and the groove around the extending portion or the plate 23 of the plate 18, will be of redctermined greater length than the distance between the seams of the backing strip and thus the width of the plait is (etermined. As the material isstitched it will be fed toward the needle 10 guided along the guide rod 45 until it reaches a position .rontwardly of the needle, at which time it will,

is stiched together, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 6, with the top velour folded bacr: upon itself and the stitching exten ing through two thicknesses of velour and one of the muslin backing. 'During the movement of the cloth through the downwardly extending flange 41 cover 31 aids in retaining the seam. nade prior to the one about to be stitched, in predetermined position relative to the groove 24. p

As pointed out in my above-mentioned cop'ending application, the device thereof:

on which the particular construction herein predetermined relation to device th e illustrated and described is an improvement, I

simplifies the operation of forming plaits through the elimination of the formerly required st p of marking the material. No

' patterns need be outlined upon the'surface scams will ai rays be exactly parallel and,

due to the mechanical guide for folding and retaining the material in position as it is stitched, the plaits will always be of equal size and perfectly formed. The lid is light in weight and may be readily moved upwardly by the action of a spring after the cloth has passed thereacross to permit the operator to draw the cloth irontwardly oi the machine in aposition to again lower the lid to receive the cloth for the next stitching.

lVhile l have described and illustrated but a single embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutes may be made therein without departing i roin the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. As an attachment a sewing machine, g and work guiding device, a

l), a seam receiving memtnereby, lid hinged to said and coo crating with said seam receiving member, and a spring for biasing said lid to raised position.

2. As an attachment for a sewing machine, a plait forming and work guiding device including, a supporting element, a seam receiving member supported thereby, a membor cooperating therewith hinged to said supporting member, and a guide disposed on the machine in parallel relation to said seam receiving member.

3. As an attachment for a sewing machine,

't forming and work guiding device in- 'I-, in combination, a supporting eleseam receiving member supported a member hinged to said supports: and cooperating with said seam receiving niciiiber, a guide disposed on the machine in parallel relation to said seam receiving member, and a spring for biasing said b ed member to raised position.

. an ior sewing machine, a irming and work guiding device including, in combination, a supporting elonr a seam receiving member supported thereey and provided with a projcction which extends in alinement with said scam receiving portion of the membe "front wardly thereof, a member hinged to said supporting member and cooperating with said seam receiving member, and a guide supp-oc. 7 her suppo ted supporting mem er disposed on the machine in parallel relation to said seam receiving member and projection.

5. As an attachment for a sewing machine, a plait forming, and work guiding device including, in combination, a supporting element, a member supported thereby having aiseam receiving groove on its edge for determining the width of the plait, a securing member movable to a position over: the laterally extended portions of said width determining member and means for biasing said securing member to raised position to permit the insertion of the cloth to be sewed in the device.

6. As an attachment for a sewing machine, a plait forming and work guiding device including, in combination, a supporting element, a member supported thereby having a seam receiving groove on its edge for determining the width of the plait, a securing member movable to a position over the laterally extended portions of said width determining member, means for biasing said securing member to raised position to permit the insertion of the cloth to be sewed in the device, and a guide element disposed in parallel relation to said seam receiving groove.

7. As an attachment for a sewing machine, a plait "forming and work guiding device including, in combination, a supporting element, seam receiving member supported thereby and provided with a sloping edge adjacent ,to the sewing element of the machine, and with a seam receiving groove along one edge, a securing element movable to a position over said member, and means for biasing said securing element to raised position to permit the insertion of the cloth to be sewed within the device.

8. A plait forming and work guiding device as an attachment for a sewing machine for stitching upholstering material to a backing piece to form plait-s thereon including, in combination, a work table, a guide plate having a groove for securing a seam for retaining it in spaced relation to a parallel plane through the stitching portionot the machine, means for supporting said plate in spaced relation to said table for receiving the backing material therebetween and with the covering material extending over said guide plate, a securing member extending over said guide plate and said material about the edge of which the material is reversely folded, and a spring for biasing said securing member to raised position after the material has passed therethrough.

9. A plait forming and work guiding device as an attachment for a sewing machine for stitching upholstering material to a backing piece to form plaits thereon including, in combination, a work table, a member having a seam receiving edge supported in spaced relation to the table and having a bevel edge adjacent to the sewing element of the machine for permitting the material on each side of the member to be drawn together to be stitched, an extension on said mem-c ber provided with a seam receiving edge in alignment with that of the member for guiding the material as it is moved toward said member, and a guide on said table in substantial alignment with said sewing element.

10. A plait forming and work guiding device as an attachment for a sewing machine for stitching upholstering material to a backing piece to form plaits thereon including, in combination, a work table, a member having a seam receiving el 'e supported in spaced relation to the table and having a bevel edge adjacent to the sewingelement of the machine for permitting the material on each side of the member to be drawn together to be stitched, an extension on said member provided with a seam receiving edge in alignment with that of the member for guiding the material as it is moved toward said member, and a guide on said table in substantial alignment with said sewing element and in parallel relation to said seam recelvmg edge.

11. A plait forming and work guiding device as an attachment for a sewing machine for stitching upholstering material to a backing piece to form plaits thereon including, in combination, a work table, a member having a seam receiving edge supported in spaced relation to the table and having a bevel edge adjacent to the sewing element of the machine for permitting the material on each side of the member to be drawn together to be. stitched, an extension on said member provided with a seam receiving edge in alignment with that of the member for guiding the material as said member, a guide on said table in substantial alignment with said sewing element and in parallel relation to said seam receivin edge, securing member movable into relation with said guide member, and a spring for biasing said securing member to raised position.

oncn, E. orn.

it is moved toward. 

